Usborne Books on Periscope

One of the many strings to my bow is selling Usborne books on an ad-hoc basis. Today whilst I am running an at home sale I've had a go at Periscoping about some of the fabulous books I currently have in stock. As a novice to Periscope I am still learning so any constructive criticism or tips welcome...

I had to abandon ship as my son came hurtling in the door with his mates in tow! So this second video is a lot longer:

If you would like more information on any of these books then please just ask!

Calling all school teachers! Usborne Reading Programme

Are you reading books looking a little tired?

Did you know Usborne Books offers a Reading Programme that fits in with the National Curriculum Book banding?

http://www.usborne.com/downloads/book-bands/urp-book-bands-nc3.pdf

Check out what we can offer you through the scheme.

One of the available books

Our Very First Reading section alone, offers 26 titles.

Remember with Usborne we can also offer up to 60% free books too, so we really can stretch those budgets, and if you have already exhausted your budgets how about letting us tell you all about our Ready Steady Read programmes where we can gets lots of lovely new books into your school for FREE.

Should you wish to see a full catalogue or just find out a little more information, please e-mail me with your questions.

We are continually expanding our exposure in schools and would sincerely like to help with your literacy requirements.

“What's happening to me?” by Usborne Books

There comes a time all parents dread when you know its time for that conversation, you know the one about puberty and all the things to do with your child changing into a grown up. We all know it happens but maybe aren't confident enough to broach the subject.

With a 10 year old daughter I know that I ought to be talking to her now and not leaving it until its too late. So luckily friends recommended an Usborne guide:

“What's happening to me? (girls)” so I armed myself with a copy and last night had a perusal through it. The book has sections on all the bits that girls want/need to know:

• boobs
• periods
• pubic hair
• spots
• body image
• sex and babies 

Its a no nonsense book that will hopefully answer most of the questions a girl needs to know. It may raise a few too but hopefully I will be able to answer them!

Of course there is an equivalent for the boys:

I had a look at this with some mum's of boys the same age as my daughter and they have all bought copy! It is very similar to the girls one but obviously has:

• voice breaking
• changes to boy bits
• wet dreams

This one I hopefully won't need to buy for a little while yet for myself but I will bare it in mind for when my son gets to double digits... Obviously being a woman I have no personal experience of male puberty so this could be enlightening for me too!

How do you deal with discussing puberty with your children?

Reasons to be Cheerful: Thanksgiving ( #R2BC )

 

I may not be American but there is no reason to not celebrate the things I am thankful for whilst Michelle prepares to jet off with operation Christmas child!

1) My Health

Finally after nearly 3 weeks I feel like I'm almost 100% back to health again! I've been feeling really tired and run down and everything has got behind... Now I'm trying to catch up on the backlog of housework that didn't get done when I was ill... The house is slowly improving...

2) My Daughter

She has been so much less of a roller coaster girl this week. Maybe it's a sign she is growing up that she can control her emotions better. On our Santa Dash at the weekend she was so keen to do her bit that she ran off like a rocket! Maybe channelling her worries about her dad into fundraising for cancer charities is doing her good. She has also had some moments of being very helpful round the house..

 

 

3) My Son

He seems to be maturing at a faster rate since turning 6! Yes he still has tantrums sometimes and can lash out but these are happening less often. His love of reading is just growing and growing and he is reading books which are advanced for his age.

 

 

4) My Books

It's the time of year when I sell the most usborne books. I now have 4 bookings over next 3 weekends. So I'll be busy but hopefully I'll shift lots of my stock!

 

5) Future Plans

I can blame Michelle for pointing me in the direction of Butlins! I've now booked a bargain short break for early next year. This is something to look forward to after the New Year. Our family camping holiday to France in the summer is also booked. Nothing fancy but the first time my children will have been to one of the countries I love best - better renew my daughter's passport and refresh my French!

 

 

Thrifty Tuesday

As a single parent I am now really feeling the pinch of a much reduced household income plus having to responsibility for all household outgoings. Unfortunately I've not been able to earn much recently and a lack of maintenance payments means I am coping on state benefits which aren't designed to fund a lavish lifestyle. So I am having to learn how to live a more thrifty life (not always successfully!) here are few ideas about how to make sure income isn't outstripped by expenditure.


Know what is coming in/out and when


I have written on the calendar when my various benefits and credits come in. Some are weekly, some fortnightly and some 4 weekly which makes life more complicated! Alongside these I have put when the bills and direct debits are paid. This way I don't get caught out and always have enough in my account to pay them. As the biggest expense is rent I have to make sure that I keep the Housing Benefit in the eSavings bit of my online account until the night before its due. That way it can't get taken up by anything else.


Planning ahead


With the help of my children we try and menu plan for the week ahead based upon what is on their schedules. This means that I can create an online supermarket order using this plan and what we have in the cupboards/freezer/fridge. If we are going to be out and about taking a snack pack with us saves on expensive emergency food/drink buys.


Planning ahead can also apply to travel and days out. Booking up to 12 weeks in advance can save a fortune in train tickets. Some attractions offer discounts if you book online before the day of your visit. Other places offer cheaper prices on certain days so its worth checking this out well in advance.

Competition Time!

As I may have mentioned a couple of times in this blog I am now running 2 little businesses. This year I really need to get them to make me self sufficient and not just supplying a little bit of income, so I have got a competition going for each business!


Becky's Usborne Books


This is my work as an Independent Usborne Reseller selling their lovely children's books. I do home parties, school fetes and any other fair that has outside stalls. The website for this is over at Becky's Books and I have created a Facebook Page to help promote it: 

Becky's Usborne Books

When I get 500 fans I will be giving away either a Make and Do Activity Book or a Sticker Book to a random fan! So please go and Like the page. In the meantime feel free to browse the online catalogue and place an order or book a party. Whilst on my website don't forget to enter the Prize Draw for a chance to win £100 worth of Usborne books. I am also looking for new team members so if you fancy earning some extra money this year please get in touch! 

Getting Boys Reading - Competition!

I don't know about anyone else but I have found Gareth Malone's Extraordinary School for Boys for fascinating and scary. Why are boys on the whole so far behind girls at reading? Is it society as a whole that is letting them down or is it down to individual families to get their sons reading?


As a mother of a boy and an Usborne children's book seller I really feel I need to do my bit to encourage boys to read. My daughter is a real bookworm having followed my example of curling up in bed with a book at bedtime. I read bedtime stories to both my children at night and love to read with them at any time. My son is slightly less happy to sit with a book than his sister but loves going to the library. 


The programme showed that dads reading themselves or reading to their sons gives boys a boost and encourages them to do it themselves. I am going to have to rely on my dad to provide this example. Luckily he is also a book lover and hopefully this will rub off on my son.


So to do my little bit for boys literacy I am going to give away a boy friendly book to one lucky commenter on this post! Simply post your idea for getting boys reading and state what age boy you would like a book for... At the end of the next episode of Extraordinary School for Boys I will choose a winner at random.


The winner will get a book up to a maximum value of £5.99 from the stunning range of Usborne books. To check these out go to my Usborne website. Good luck and let's get our boys reading!




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And the winner is comment number 17

the lovely Kailnexness who wins an Usborne book for her toddler!

On the edge of the unknown...

Well I have 3 weeks or 9 working days left (subject to snow!) as a paid employee which is kind of scary. I know it will mean a lot of changes as my income will plummet as will only be from benefits & tax credits and any ad hoc Usborne money.

BUT I will not have the stress of juggling work pressure and the needs of my kids.

I have made an appointment at the Job Centre for my first day as unemployed. Just hope I don't get penalised for quitting my job....

So will need to start budgeting better (must get gas/electric bill down as has rocketed in this cold snap!). The nice extras in life will have to be several rationed e.g. coffees out, meals away from home etc. At least it should help my waistline as will have to cut back on naughties such as wine, chocolates and yummies. Then again I will have time to improve my home baking & cooking techniques! Just have to get my kids to eat the results...

Please let me know any really good budget recipes that I can try out!! Or any other top budgeting tips...

Worth the effort?

I spent nearly an hour this morning lugging boxes from the 3rd floor attic and bags from out 1st floor bedroom to load up the car for a table sale in Westfield. Then I had to shift them all in to the building and set-up my table. Very kindly I was given a 2nd table for free as I had too much stuff!!

So there I am with loads of baby clothes, toys, adult books and some random surplus stuff already to go and stump up my £6. Kids have stopped being pains in the bottom and are running around having fun. Lots of sellers but where are the buyers?? I eventually sold 4 items of kids clothing, 4 Top Trumps games, 1 baby toy and 2 books!! All that work to just cover the cost...

I was determined that things will not be put back up in the attic so at the suggestion of another stall holder I drove up to the local hospital and donated a huge box of paperbacks to the Friends of the Conquest. These will either be sold to raise money or used on the wards. So my debt mountain may not have gone down but I have a lot less in my attic and I can feel the rosy glow from my charity work!

Some of the clutter is up on Freecycle. The remaining baby things are going to be better sorted and hopefully will go and the children's nearly new in Uckfield on the 7th. Going to sell those as well as have an Usborne book stall and hope that between them they cover the £12 cost!

Oh and when we got back 1/2 of Hastings was blacked out due to a power failure including our house and the main traffic lights! So it was down to Cosmo for dinner...

Currently starting to feel my declutter workout's effect on my body.... not sure I'll be able to walk tomorrow...